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Key Features:
Realistic detail, especially textures, fabrics, and surfaces
Oil painting for luminous color and depth
Symbolism embedded in everyday objects and domestic interiors
Focus on portraiture, religious scenes, and civic life
Cultural / Historical Context:
Flanders, Netherlands, Germany
Wealthy merchant cities fostered art patronage
Printing press spreads humanist and religious ideas
Art served devotional, civic, and personal purposes -
Key Features:
Classical ideals of proportion, perspective, and anatomy
Linear perspective and naturalistic space
Religious, secular, and mythological subjects
Fresco, tempera, and oil painting
Cultural / Historical Context:
Italian city-states, especially Florence, Venice, and Siena
Wealthy patrons like the Medici family fostered artistic development
Humanism emphasizes individual dignity, secular themes, and classical revival
Art served civic, religious, and private purposes -
Artist: Masaccio
Title: The Holy Trinity
Date: 1427
Medium: Fresco
Dimensions: 667 × 317 cm
Repository: Santa Maria Novella, Florence
Movement: Early Italian Renaissance
Explanation:
This fresco introduces linear perspective, creating a believable three-dimensional space. Figures are volumetric and realistically proportioned, reflecting Renaissance interest in human anatomy. It represents the shift from medieval to Renaissance spatial and compositional innovation. -
Artist: Jan van Eyck
Title: Arnolfini Portrait
Date: 1434
Medium: Oil on panel
Dimensions: 82.2 × 60 cm
Repository: National Gallery, London
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Explanation:
The portrait exemplifies Northern Renaissance attention to domestic realism and symbolic detail. Every texture, from the chandelier to the carpet, is rendered with meticulous precision. Van Eyck’s use of oil paints allows luminous colors and subtle light effects, enhancing realism. -
Artist: Filippo Brunelleschi
Title: Dome of Florence Cathedral
Date: 1420–1436
Medium: Brick and stone (architecture)
Dimensions: Diameter 45.5 m
Repository: Florence Cathedral, Florence
Movement: Early Italian Renaissance
Explanation:
Brunelleschi’s dome shows innovative engineering and classical inspiration. Its perspective and proportional design reflect Renaissance ideals of reason, order, and human mastery of space. It symbolizes Florence’s civic pride and technical innovation. -
Artist: Rogier van der Weyden
Title: Deposition
Date: c. 1435–1440
Medium: Oil on wood
Dimensions: 220 × 262 cm
Repository: Museo del Prado, Madrid
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Explanation:
The work emphasizes human emotion and dramatic narrative through expressive gestures and faces. Northern Renaissance naturalism is evident in the intricate textures and detailed background. It illustrates devotional intensity and personal engagement with sacred stories. -
Artist: Sandro Botticelli
Title: Primavera
Date: c. 1482
Medium: Tempera on panel
Dimensions: 202 × 314 cm
Repository: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Movement: Early Italian Renaissance
Explanation:
Botticelli merges classical mythology with Renaissance linearity and elegance. Figures are graceful, and composition emphasizes decorative beauty and harmony. The work shows humanist interest in secular and mythological subjects. -
Artist: Albrecht Dürer
Title: Self-Portrait
Date: 1500
Medium: Oil on panel
Dimensions: 67 × 49 cm
Repository: Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Movement: Northern Renaissance
Explanation:
Dürer’s frontal pose reflects humanist ideals of dignity and individuality. Detailed rendering of hair, clothing, and facial features showcases Northern Renaissance technical skill. The self-portrait exemplifies artists’ rising social and intellectual status during this period.